The present invention pertains to electrical transceiver modules and, in particular, modules having a small form factor main body to be received by a host device, but including an alternative peripheral device connector.
Small form factor transceiver modules are known for interconnecting peripheral devices such as copper cables to a host device such a router, switch, hub or computer. Due to the continuing demand for greater bandwidth, these host devices require more peripheral interconnects and more transceivers populated in smaller areas. This has led to new transceiver modules that have a small form factor or small footprint. For example, such devices such as the Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP) transceiver under the Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) (SFF-8074I Rev. 1.0 May 12, 2001) specifies a module housing having a width of approximately 13.7 mm and a height of approximately 8.6 mm at the host interface end. Such a module has a specially formed host device connector that allows for the module to be pluggably inserted within the host device and which allows for the high speed transmission of signals between the host device and the transceiver module. However, due to the small envelope package size, the connector at the opposite end is limited to only certain very small type peripheral device connectors. For example, such modules have been made with an HSSDC-II connector at the peripheral device connector end. Due to the small size of an HSSDC-II connector plug, a corresponding receptacle may be fit within the small profile of a standard SFP module housing without modification.
However, there are desired other types of peripheral device connectors to be used with such small form factor transceiver modules. There are many electrical connector plugs and cables that would enhance the usefulness and compatibility of such transceiver modules if alternate peripheral device connectors were available such as RJ type plugs/jacks. Typically, such peripheral device connector plugs have a larger profile than the outer profile of the small form factor modules themselves. Therefore, in some cases adapters have been provided to be interposed between the small form factor transceiver module and the large peripheral connector plug to be connected thereto. However, such adapters add significantly to the cost of the overall system, take-up significant real estate at the panel opening of the host device and may be misplaced after initial usage.
There is desired a small form factor transceiver that has a peripheral device connector that can accept alternative peripheral connector plugs that may be equal to or larger than the size of the outer dimensions of a standard small form factor transceiver module. The present invention provides for such a peripheral device connector of a small form factor transceiver that allows for a multitude of other peripheral device plugs to be connected thereto. The present invention also provides for a quick and easily assembled package that uses inexpensive parts to provide the small form factor transceiver having an enlarged peripheral device connector.